Draft-rigging



G. E, OUTLAW.

DRAFT RIGGING.

A'PPLiCATlON FILED 1uLY 26. 1919.

1,361,543. Patented Dec. 7, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I- 56 vwentoz W 6. MM,

Sauna,

G. E. OUTLAW.

DRAFT RIGGING APPLICATION FILED JULY 26. 1919.

1,3 1,543, Patented Dec. 7, 1920.

. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Fzgufi. 46 6.9 8

(Jude/whiz G. E. OUTLAW.

DRAFT RIGGING.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 26. 1919.

1,361,543, Patented Dec. 7, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3'.

#Kg' o Witness UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE.

GEORGE E.'0U'1LAW, or VAUGHN, new mExIco.

DltAFT-RIGGING.

To all whom it may concern:

a citizen of the United States, residing at Vaughn, Guadalupe county, State of New Mexico, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draft-Rigging, of which the following is a specification, ref erence being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to draft-rigging for railway-cars of the type that includes means that imposes both friction and spring resistanceto draft and bufling strains.

Among the objects of the invention are to arrange the several parts in such manner that the comparatively few parts that may I require renewal may .be removed easily without interference with the rigging as a, whole; to form and assemble the parts so that those most apt to require attention: may be inspected without opening. or loos-- ening other parts; and to provide draftrigging that may be installed and removed and the parts of which may be renewed from the outer ends of the draft-arms and from the sides of them. 4

lVhen considered in connection with the description herein, the details of construc-- tion and arrangement of parts contemplated by the invention will be apparent from the accompanying] drawings, forming part hereof,'where1n an embodiment of the invention is disclosed, for the purpose of illustration. I 'While the disclosures herein now are consideredto exeniplify a preferable embodimerit of the invention, it is to be understood that it is not'the intention to be limited necessarily thereto in interpretation of the claims, as alterations andadap'tations within the limits of the claims can be made without departing from the nature and spirit of the invention.

Like reference-characters refer to corresponding partsf in' the views of the drawings, of which f-fj i Figure 1 is a pimview, ing broken away;

Fig. 2 is a, horizontal sectional vlew, Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view; Fig. 4 is a side view;

certain parts be- Speeification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Dec. 7, 1920.-

Application filed July 26, 1919. Serial No. 313,473.

Fig. 5- is a transverse sectional view on the line 5- 5, Fig. 1; H

Fig. 6 is a view of one of the main friction-blocks; 1

Fig. 7 is a plan View of the bull-block;

8 is a side view of the bull-block;

Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional view. on

the line 99, Fig. 2; and

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view showing the position of certain parts under bufling strain.

Referring more particularly to the draw- 1 lugs, 11 designates two separated substantially parallel draft sills or. members, preferably channel irons, extending longitudinally of the under portion of the car-body and centered on its axis. The draft sills have alined openings 12 in their webs'near' the end of the car. I

For the pur ose of communicating from the dra t-rigging' to the draft-sills, a reinforcing-plate 13 is" secured to the web of each sill on each side of its opening'and extends from top to bottom thereof the material of each late extends outwardly extend inwardly of the sills, one pair be-, 1ng located at the upper and lower ends of each opening and projecting for a portion of the. distance across the space between the sills; and reinforcing the upper and lower edges of the plates 13' for a portion -of the distance across the space between the sills, the oppositely dis posed marginal portions of plates 16-constltuting guides, and the guide members 15 being secured to plates 16 and to flanges '14. These parts may be integrally associated or welded or otherwise secured together. A covering-plate 17 extending from one draft sill to the other'may be secured to the out.- side of each pair of plates 16.

Draft and buiiing strains sustained by a coupler-head 18 at the end of the .car are imposed, by means of a coupler-shank 19 and a key 20, on arms 21 of a draw member or bull-block 22, the arms extending on each sideof the shank. The ke is of such length that it is prevented rom'displace plates 16 extend from i ment by contact with the sills. The block has abutments 23 on its upper and lower sides, each of which extends and fits snugly between the inner ends of the guide members 15, and the sides of the block 'fit snugly against these guide members, the arrangement being v such as to prevent twisting movement of the block.

The bull-block has on each side near its inner end a recess 24, the two recesses being oppositely disposed. Each end wall of each recess extends for a short distance inwardly and at substantially right angles to the side of the block, whereby oppositely-disposed abutments 25 are afforded. The end walls of a recess converge toward each other from the abutments toward the bottom, whereby friction-surfaces -26oppositely inclined to the line of draft are provided.

A friction-block 27, Wedge shaped on its inner end to conform to the inchnation of the friction-surfaces 26, seats in each recess 24, and is disposed between upper and lower pairs of guide members 15, and it has on its upper and lower sides abutments 28, each of which extends between a pair of those guide members, which guide the friction-block in its movement transversely of the line of draft and take draft and buffing strains. I

The outer end of each friction-block also 'is wedge shaped or formed with surfaces 29, which are inclined with respect to the transverse axis of the rigging, and against those surfaces are positioned counter-balance wedge-blocks 30, which contact with the guide-flanges 14 and keep the friction-blocks at right angles to the bull-block. In the embodiment shown, the wedge-blocks are right-triangular in cross-section, the hypotenuse sides rest against the friction-block, and the leg sides contact with the. guide flanges.

The sides of the friction-blocks between the wedge-shaped ends are substantially parallel and straight.

In order to keep the wedge members in place and to contribute to the resistance thereof to movement as a resultof strains imposed on the bull-block, .a bearing-plate 31 is ressed against the outer sides of each set of wedge-blocks by a presser-pla'te or member 32 connected by bolts or the like 33 to the ends of a' pair-of auxiliary leaf-springs 34, the springs being located outside of the draft members. The opposite ends -ofthese springs areheld in a saddle 35, as are also a pair of main springs 36 separated therefrom by a spacing member 37, by a" bolt 38 and a cap 39 drawn-by the nut of the bolt against the main springs. The saddle has pairs of lugs 40, and pins 41 pass through those lugs and through members 42 on a $111, on the outside of which thesaddle thus is mounted ivotally. The main springs, which are shorter than the auxiliary ones,

surfaces 26 thereon. Such movement is res1sted by the friction of those surfaces, of

have a tie member 43 bearing against the end portions opposite to the saddle, and a bolt 44 extending between the springs through the tie member has a nut 45 on one end portion outside of that member. The other end of the bolt has an enlarged portion 46, and a pin 47 extends therethrough and through lugs 48 on the sill, on which the bolt thus is pivotally mounte When the bull-block, sustains draft or buffing strains sufficient to overcome the frictional and spring resistance in the friction members, the friction-blocks are given'outward movement by operation of the frictionthe friction-blocks against the guide-flanges, and it also is resisted'by the springs. If the strain is sufficiently great and sustained, the bull-block will move until its abutments 25 engage straight sides of the friction-blocks (as shown by Fig. 10), when movement of the bull-block will be stopped, and displacement thereof prevented.

The resistance of the friction members to movement of the bull-block may be altered by adjustment of the tension ofthe springs, which may be effected by turning nuts45 away from the free ends of their bolts to draw the main springs toward the auxiliary ones and thereby cause greater pressure or by turning them in the reverse direction and causing less pressure. Of course, alteration of spring tension not only changes the direct resistance of the springs to movement of the friction members and thereby to the bullblock, but it also affects frictional resistance, which is greater or-less as the spring tension is greater or less.

As strains upon the bull-block are lessened, the friction members will be moved by the springs toward or to normal positions.

It will be seen that the springs are located at the sides of and outside of the draft-sills, '110 where they are easily accessible for adjustment without removing other parts, and where they may be removed and replaced without interference with or removal of friction members or other parts. The 'fric- '115 tion members themselves on either side may be removed and replaced, after becoming worn or for any other reason, Without disturbing those on the other side. All that is necessary for such an operation is to remove 120 nut 45 and tie member 43 and then to swing the springs on theirv saddle 35 out of the way, whereupon the bearing-plate 31 and the friction parts thereunder are easily accessible through the opening 12.

Moreover, in order to remove the bullblock itself, if that is necessary, all that is required is to swing the springs out of the way on each side, as already described for one side, and then withdraw the bearing- 130 plates and friction members, when the bullblock is free to be pulled'out from parts between which it has been held; and replacement of the parts can be effected just as readily by reversal of this operation.

No bolts, other than those controlling the tension of the springs, and no straps or like parts are involved in this rigging; and, therefore, liability of parts becoming displaced and lost and the work of adjustment of parts and their removal and replacement are reduced to a minimum.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

' 1. In draft-rigging, the combination, with spaced draft members, of a draw member therebetween having a recess with walls oppositely inclined to the line of draft, a frlction-block wedgehaped at both ends seated in said recess, wedge-blocks at the outer end of said friction-block, guideways for friction-block and wedge-blocks, and means pressing said wedge-blocks and frictionblock toward said draw member.

2. In draft-rigging, the combination,with spaced draft members, of a draw member therebetween having a recess with walls oppositely inclined to theline of draft, a friction-block wedge-shaped at both ends seated in said recess, wedge-blocks at the outer end of said friction-block, a bearing member.

against said wedge-blocks, guideways for said friction-block, wedge-blocks, and bearing member, and means exerting pressure inwardly against said bearing member.

3. In draft-rigging, the comb1nat1on, w1th spaced dra members, of a draw member therebetween having a recess with walls oppositely inclined to the line of draft, a friction-block wedge-shaped at both ends seated in said recess, wedge-blocks at the outer end of said friction-block, a bearing member against said Wedge-blocks, guideways for said friction-block, wedge-blocks, and bearing member, a leaf-spring exertmg pressure at one end inwardly against said bearing member, a saddle pivotally mounted; and

holding the other end portion of said spring" outside of one of said draft members another spring extending from said saddle, and means in engagement with said latter spring whereby to adjust spring tension.

said

ing the other end portion of said spring, another spring extending from said saddle, a bolt pivotally connected to one of said draft members, and a nut on said bolt arranged to draw said latter spring toward the forlner.

5. In draft-rigging, the combination,with spaced draft members, of a draw member therebetween having a recess with walls oppositely inclined to the line of draft, a friction-block having a wedge-shaped end seated in said recess, guideways for said block, and

means operating to press said friction-block I toward said draw member, said means including a pair of leaf-springs at the outer side of one of said draft members and operating at one end against said friction-block, a saddle p'ivotally mounted on a fixed part in engagement with the other-end of the springs, another pair of springs extending from said saddle, a spacing member between each pair of springs, a cap and bolt holding said springs in said saddle, a tie member at the opposite ends of said latter springs, a bolt pivotally mounted on a fixed part, and a nut on said bolt cooperating with said cap whereby said springs are maintained under tension.

6. In draft-rigging, the combination, with spaced draft members one of which has an opening therein, of flanges at said opening,

guid'eways extending inwardly from said opening, a draw member between said'draftmembers having a recess with walls oppositely inclined to the line of draft, afriction-block wedge-shaped at both ends seated in said recess and movable in said guideways, wedge-blocks bearing against the outer end of said friction-block and against said flanges, and means pressing said wedgeblocks and friction-block toward said draw member.

7. In draft-ri ging, the combinatiomwith spaced draft members one of which has an opening therein, of flanges at said opening, guideways extending inwardly from said opening, a draw member between said draft members having a recess with walls oppositely inclinedto the line of draft,.a friction-block wedge-shaped at both ends seated in said recess and movable in said guide-' ways, wedge-blocks bearing against the outer end of said friction block and against said flanges, a bearing member between said flanges, and means ressing said bearing member inwardly against said wedge-blocks.

8. In draft-rigging, thecombination, with spaced draft members, of complementary pairs of (guide members extending inwardly from sai draft members, reinforcing-plates to which said guide members are secured extendin from said draft members, a draw member etween said draft and guide members having a recess with walls oppositely inclined to the line of draft, abutments on said draft member extending between the ends of said guide members, a friction-block movable in said guide members and havmg -a wedge-shaped end seated in said recess,

and means pressing said friction-block toward said draw member.

9. In draft-rigging, the combination, with spaced draft members one of which has an opening-therein, of flanges at said opening, guideways extending inwardly from said opening, a draw member between said draft members and guideways having a recess with walls oppositely inclined to the line of draft, abutments on said draft member extending between ends of said guideways, a friction-block movable in said guideways and having a wedge-shaped end seated in said recess, and means pressing said friction-block toward said draw member.

10. In draft-rigging, the combination,

--with spaced draft members having 0 positely-disposed openings therein, of a raw member therebetween having oppositelydisposed recesses with walls opposltely inclined to the line of draft, friction-blocks wedge-shaped at both ends seated in said recesses, wed e-blocks at the outer end of each frictionlock, guideways for said friction and wedge-blocks,.and oppositely-acting means pressing said wedge and friction blockstoward said draw member.

11. In draft-rigging, the combination, with spaced draft members having oppositely-disposed openings therein, of a draw member therebetween having oppositelydisposed recesses with walls oppositely inclined to the line of draft, friction-blocks each of which has a wedge-shaped end seated in one of said recesses, guideways for said friction-blocks, leaf-springs, one on the outside of each draft member, oppositely pressing attheir ends the friction-blocks toward said draw member, saddles pivotally mounted on said draft members and holding the other end portions of said springs, other springs extending from said saddles, and means in engagement with said latter springs whereby to adjust spring tension.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

' r GEORGE E. OUTLAW. 

